


Reminisce

by Artistic_Gamer



Series: Izuku haunts class 1-A [22]
Category: BnHA, Boku no Hero Academia, My Hero Academia, mha
Genre: Angst, Character Death Implied/Mentioned, Ghost!Midoriya, Hurt/Comfort, Midoriya haunts 1-A, Midoriya takes Bakugo's advice, One-Shot, Other, as usual, bc I can't lmao, can you believe I'm still doing this schedule properly, class 1-a - Freeform, it's been so rainy outside where I live it's great but it sucks, lots of tears shed today, oh well, should I even tag these as one-shots, they're practically chapters at this point right??
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-21
Updated: 2020-05-21
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:07:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,168
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24277099
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Artistic_Gamer/pseuds/Artistic_Gamer
Summary: Iida faces the consequence of the phone call and breaks, while Shouto faces his past and feels whole. Bakugo rides the high of his win, but quickly comes crashing back down to earth by an innocent question from Kirishima.
Relationships: Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead & Bakugou Katsuki, Bakugo Katsuki & Midoriya Izuku, Bakugou Katsuki & Yagi Toshinori | All Might, Iida Tenya & Iida Tensei, Iida Tenya & Iida Tenya's Parents, Todoroki Shouto & Todoroki Rei
Series: Izuku haunts class 1-A [22]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1553269
Comments: 123
Kudos: 1820





	Reminisce

**Author's Note:**

> well hello there, how y'all doin? good I hope!! welcome to the newcomers who binge read this story in like two days and got so far, you all are too powerful and I'm fearful
> 
> !!! so, I had a thought. how would you all feel if I made a discord server for this story? I've seen other authors do it, and I think it could be fun!! food for thought :P if you want to keep it here, that's okay too!! no pressure either way
> 
> thank you to @Susurra (I believe) for bringing up the idea of Bakugo bringing in a picture of Izuku for the class. I thought it was a really cute idea and !! I liked it a lot
> 
> I hope you all enjoy (๑˃̵ᴗ˂̵)ᕤ

Katsuki stood on the first place platform, the tallest of the three, bandages wound around his hands and forearms. Icy Hot to his right was slightly shorter, looking pensive with plaster on his neck and cheek, and Kirishima was to his left, the shortest of the three and looking near tears. He really,  _ really _ didn’t want to rub his win in their faces - especially Icy Hot - but he figured he could indulge in feeling the tiniest bit smug. His smirk was threatening to turn into a wide grin every second, and his posture was proud and tall, the entire stadium cheering his victory. He could hear his class going wild for them, his group’s loud whistling and shouting distinctive even from all the way up on the bleachers. The sun was bright and shining, the crisp wind blowing his hair out of his face. His heart felt full.

This wasn’t just for him. It was for Deku. It was to prove not only to himself, but to his best friend that he could be the best without fail, without needing to tear others down to get there. That he  _ would. _ He had already made steps, but that was correcting himself, not moving forward.

Now, he could say he was moving forward.

All Might was there to give them their medals, plaster across the bridge of his nose like it had been broken, and Katsuki was two minds about it. On one hand the little kid in him was fit to burst with joy and excitement, cackling and cheering at having his idol recognizing him in such a way. On the other hand, however, Deku hadn’t gotten better with his behavior around him, and when someone like Deku was that quiet, that cautious, it was best to be on guard. Admittedly, a very small part insisted in the moment that Deku was probably overreacting, but Katsuki very firmly told that small part to shut the fuck up. After all, if Deku were to overreact where All Might was concerned, it would be hyperventilating with excitement, not shutting down.

All Might approached Kirishima, the third place medal in his hands, and placed it around his classmate’s neck, talking quietly to him. Whatever he had said finally made the dams burst, and Kirishima flipped between sniffling and laughing, an ecstatic grin on his face as he clutched the medal like he couldn’t believe he’d gotten it. He approached Icy Hot next, placing the second place medal around his neck. Katsuki still couldn’t make out what he had said, but it made Icy Hot smile, giving the man a nod in return. 

Then All Might turned to him. The first place medal was sparkling gold, shiny and bright, and Katsuki felt his chest swell with so many emotions he couldn’t put a name to each one. 

_ Young Bakugo, _ he murmured quietly, his trademark grin softening into something more genuine,  _ you fought hard and well. I am honored to give you this first place medal - you’ve earned it. _ The medal was placed around his neck, All Might patting his chest, and it may have been added weight but Katsuki had never felt more free.  _ Your potential is incredible. I’m excited to see what you do in the future. _

Katsuki swallowed, trying hard not to give in to his closing throat. He would  _ not _ cry on live television. His parents would never let him hear the end of it.

Tenya felt as though the train was going at a crawl. It knew he was in a rush, it had to, but all he could do was bounce his leg restlessly as the train crept ever closer to Musutafu’s hospital. He barely had time to dress out of his hero costume and dart to the train station before the train left, but now he had wished he had used his Quirk to just  _ get _ there already.

His hand was clenched tight around his phone, sweating, shaky.

The moment the doors opened he escaped in a flash. The wind tore around him as he rushed to the doors, bursting through, demanding to know where his brother’s room was. The nurse told him, attempting to soothe, to apologize,  _ something, _ but Tenya wasn’t listening and didn’t care. Instead he forced himself to run normally up the stairs and down the hall, forced himself not to use his Quirk - he was in a  _ hospital _ for god’s sake  _ oh my god he was in a hospital his brother was in the hospital no no don’t think too hard on it you missed the room go back! _

He snapped the door open. His stomach dropped, his lunch almost came up. His brother laid weak and pale, tubes snaking in and out of his body. Everyone looked small in a hospital bed, but his brother looked younger than he remembered.

So, so much younger.

His parents were there, already seated -  _ of course they were the one who called you _ \- and his mom held tissues to her eyes as she sobbed. His dad didn’t look any better. The only thing testifying to Tensei still being - being  _ with them _ \- was the heart monitor, his weak pulse, a sharp and pointed noise that broke the horrible silence in the room.

It reminded him of Izuku, he thought briefly. A silence so suffocating you thought you’d choke on it.

He broke. A sob tore through his throat, and his knees threatened to give out on him as he stumbled over to his parents. His mom caught him before he fell, standing and holding him to her as close as she physically could, squeezing him hard enough to force the air out of his lungs. It didn’t matter. He was hardly getting breath anyway.

_ I’m sorry, _ she sobbed, and Tenya’s heart felt gutted out of his chest, ripped out and torn to shreds.

_ He’s not-? He’s not-? _ Tenya choked on the words. He couldn’t finish them, couldn’t make the possibility any more real than it might be already.

_ No, _ his dad cut in. It looked like he was trying hard to be strong, but he looked so, so close to tears.  _ But we - we don’t know when he’ll wake up. _

Shouto opened the door to his mother’s hospital room, heart pounding in his chest with anxiety, and fear made his hands tingle with numbness. 

The first sight of his mother in almost ten years was her wide, ash grey eyes. It seemed like she had just stood up from her bed to water one of the flower pots in her room, and Shouto’s hand tightened around the bouquet of roses in his grip, the plastic crinkling at the added pressure.

She dropped the watering can and it went clattering to the floor, but it went unnoticed as she walked over, slow at first, disbelieving, then quicker as a huge smile broke out on her face. Shouto met her halfway, walking fully into the room with shaking legs. Shouto reached out and hugged her, hard, fingers gripping her white hospital gown as if she would slip away. He would’ve felt awkward if it weren’t for the fact that her grip was just as tight, digging into his collar as she sniffled. He felt his eyes well up with tears of his own.

She still smelled the same - like freshly blooming flowers - and it brought on a whole slew of memories. Every time she held herself straight in the face of his father’s wrath, every smile she had sent his way, every time they had sat down to watch All Might on the big screen and Shouto had asked her if he could be a hero - if he should even want to be.

He had hidden himself away from his mother not only out of anxiety, but out of guilt. He should’ve done something, called someone, put up more of a fight. Maybe if he had done what Endeavor wanted just a bit better she would’ve been spared, and in that moment the guilt he had suppressed for years came rushing in all at once, clawing at his chest until he felt like he could barely breathe. He had so much he wanted to tell her, so much he needed to catch her up on.

They pulled away, and Shouto looked at her face, expecting fear, regret, anger.

She looked at him, tears streaming down her cheeks, and she laughed.

The class of 1-A sat tiredly in their seats, some slouched low and some with their feet propped up on their desks, despite Iida’s weak protests. The Sports Festival had been long and grueling, a challenge that tested every ability they had until they felt that they would break, and it had left them exhausted but thankful. 

Katsuki felt the atmosphere and shared in it. His forearms needed a moment’s respite, and just like everyone else he was thankful for the short break. He hadn’t thought Aizawa was capable of kindness, but he supposed even trolls had soft spots. His phone was propped on his knees, he could feel the cold air by the left of his head buzzing with Deku’s energy. At first Deku had done nothing but sulk when he realized he had missed the latter half of the Sports Festival, and it only got worse when he realized he’d missed the final match, but Round Face had pulled a quick save by wasting no time, pointing to Katsuki’s phone and reassuring that she had caught it. Deku had immediately hounded him - Katsuki could’ve sworn it felt like Deku was pulling at his clothes and pressing his hands into his pockets, but he brushed it off as imagination - and to keep the little gremlin at bay, he had shown Deku the footage. 

He had to give it to her, Round Face had done a decent job at recording. The footage had stayed on the two consistently, no matter how many times they had tossed each other across the ring, only growing shaky and blurry when the dust cleared to reveal him as the winner. She had been cheering and jumping like everyone else, and the footage turned into a mess of incomprehensible color smears and a jumble of voices. Katsuki didn’t hold it against her. 

Deku had been just as excited. He had cheered and laughed and even cried, just a bit, patting at Katsuki’s face and shoulders in glee once the video was over. The class had cheered with him, asking what he thought, and mutters had permeated the room nonstop, much to everyone’s joy. Katsuki couldn’t help but smirk, knowing Deku was indulging in his usual Quirk rants. He wondered what Deku was saying.

Deku made his rounds, giving each and every student their own flurry of celebratory pats and slaps, going up and down the rows. Round Face couldn’t stop giggling, Kirishima got emotional all over again, and Icy Hot looked surprisingly bashful, although Katsuki wasn’t sure why. Eyebags tried to shrug off Deku’s cheerfulness, but he gave in quickly enough, and Katsuki turned back around in his seat to hide his smirk.

Glasses was quiet. Katsuki had seen the news - he didn’t blame him for his silence. 

He hoped he was doing okay. Round Face seemed to be doing a fine enough job at keeping Glasses’ attention, but Katsuki wondered if it was better to leave him be. He remembered getting the news about Deku. He hadn’t wanted to talk to anyone for almost two weeks, although, he figured the two experiences weren’t exactly the same.

Aizawa walked in shortly thereafter, eyes boring into the classroom, glancing just next to Katsuki’s left at something before focusing again. Katsuki frowned, thoughtful. The teacher tapped the board behind him, statistics drawn on it in chalk, and all eyes zeroed in on the teacher. Deku was muttering on, content in his own little world. Built fully around Quirks, Katsuki was sure.

One quick lecture on nominations later and everyone was excited, some energy being brought back into the room despite everyone’s exhaustion. Aizawa passed out the papers of who nominated them, and Katsuki stared hard at his own page, a long, seemingly never ending list of pro heroes that all wanted him.

He had to take this seriously. He knew whoever he chose would be an important decision - it would shape his hero career for better or for worse.

He could hear his classmates chatting with one another, some excited and some nervous. Icy Hot had left his seat to join Round Face and Glasses, and Katsuki could hear Round Face talk about doing hero-studies with a martial artist. Considering her fight with Tail, Katsuki wasn’t very surprised at the idea. Kirishima and the rest of his friend group seemed to be waiting for him, gathered around Sparky’s table while Sparky himself ranted about how many nominations he had gotten from coming in fourth. Unfortunately for them, their opinion wasn’t what Katsuki wanted. 

_ Oi, Aizawa, _ he said, and scanned the floor. He found Aizawa almost immediately, covered head to foot in his bright sleeping bag. 

_ What, _ Aizawa said flatly.

_ I wanna grab the E-thing. _ He added  _ Can I? _ at the last minute, but he was proud of himself regardless.

_ For a while, but you need to focus. _

He didn’t need to be told twice. Katsuki stood from his seat and walked to the back of the class, grabbing the stupid device and carrying it back. He would just have Deku type to him, but it was nice, hearing the nerd’s voice again. 

Sitting down, he placed the thing on his desk and clicked it on. The antenna snapped to his left and he started recording.

_ Well, this is your specialty. Where do I go? _

There was a brief pause, then Deku murmured for a while. Katsuki waited patiently - as patiently as he could, he wasn’t a saint - and when Deku had silenced he played the recording back.

_ “You̵ h̕a͡ve҉ ͘so ma͢n̛y nam̢es͡!” _ Deku gasped, and Katsuki smiled at the excitement in his voice.  _ “Hm...̢Y̛ou n͟eed s͘omeone͠ tha͏t̵ d҉oe͡s w͞ell̡ i̴n͟ the͜ ̢spotl͘ight, b̕ut̷ şo̴m̸e̕one ̡t̵ha͝t'͟s̛ g͢oo̵d̛ with ͘peo҉pl͢e̡. ͟Y̵o҉u͏ co̢ul҉ḑ alw̴a͠y͞s͡ le͝a̕rn̡ from them!” _

Katsuki huffed, but there was no heat in it.  _ You saying I’m not charming? _ Deku only giggled in response, and as much as Katsuki wanted to argue, he knew Deku was right. Power wasn’t quite the issue he was facing right now - it was being likable.  _ Hero _ levels of likable. Even with therapy he wasn’t the best at being kind in the traditional sense, and although his goal wasn’t changing himself completely, knowing when to bite his tongue would probably be useful.

The device clicked to his right, and Katsuki hurriedly lifted his arm. He must’ve leaned on it by accident, but at least Deku was using the opportunity to talk in the quiet. Katsuki glanced at it to make sure the numbers were counting the minutes properly, eyes tracking over the distance from his arm to the device, then frowned in thought. It was a little too far away, even if Katsuki had leaned hard to his right. Did he even feel it on his arm…? 

Deku stopped, and Katskui stopped the recording and played it back.

_ “I t͟hin͏k ̨P̡r̵e͝sent ̧M͡ic ̧o͜r B̡est ͡Je̷a͠n͜įs͘t w͠oul̡d ̛be g̨o̵o̷d҉ ͡c͜hoices,̷ ͡Kacc͡ha͘n. Mi̛r̕ù̢̀k͡o̕͟ ̸t҉oo͘!͏” _

_ I’m surprised you don’t recommend All Might, _ he drawled, keeping an eye on the device. Miruko, why did that name sound familiar? They had to be in the top five. Was their name even on the list? He reached out to click record again, but the button clicked on its own, causing Katsuki to blink in surprise. Deku stopped talking, but Katsuki didn’t move, staring wide eyed as the device clicked buttons on its own. Deku seemed a little out of breath while he spoke.

_ “Al͜l͢ M͜i̡gh͏t̷ ̵is to̴o̧ ca͡l͝m͟ ҉f̕or͜ ̢y̷ou,̧ ͡and͠ ̷y͏our̷ Q͝ui͝r̕k͞s̡ ̸ar͠e̶ too̷ ͢di҉f͝fere͏nt,” _ Deku replied, as if his new ability was completely normal. _ ͡”Yoư ma͜ke ͞it lo͘ok ҉thoưg̷h̸tl͟e͏s͡s an̵d̵ ̷e̕f͠fo҉rtl͜e̷ss,͢ b҉u҉t͝ th͏e͟ wa͢y҉ ͟y҉ǫu̴ ͝us̢e̶ ̧y̡o҉u̴r Quir҉k͞ t͏ak̛e͜s a͢ ̸lo̶t͞ ̸of͜ ͟st͟ŗat͜eg̢y҉ and thįn̨k͏i͏ng̡.̧ ̷You͞'r͢e re̴all͏y̶ a͢m̢az͝ing͠ K̸a͟cc͝h͝an̴!̶” _

Katsuki’s face burned, sinking into his chair. How Deku managed to make his own milestone less important was beyond him.  _ Shut the fuck up, _ he hissed, embarrassed.  _ There are  _ people _ here you crazy bastard. And is that you? When the fuck could you do that? _

Deku tapped the device, once, twice, three times, and Katsuki got the hint and clicked the buttons himself. Maybe he couldn’t do it for too long.

_ “Bu̷t it's t̸rưe̷! A̡i҉zaw̸a̵ ̨help͢ed͠ me͡, ̕during ţhe Spo̴r͏t͠s F̨e̛st̸iv̷a̛l͡. ̴He͟'̛s so n҉i͜c̨e̢!͠ ͝It̕'s̕ s͟t͞i͞l͝l ̷so̢ hard to ke͘ep̷ u̕p̧ ͟bưt̨, ͏I̴'l̴l̡ get̕ ̛be͟tte̛r͏.” _

He shot a glare over to Aizawa. Why did the old man not  _ warn _ anyone?

Deku continued.  _ “C̸an I͡ t͠ype i̵n͞st͟e̵a̶d͢?̧ ͝I͢ d̸on'̨t lik̶e ͏the d͜elay̛.̸..̨Į j̡us͠t ͜w͞ant t͡o͏ ̨t͡alk ̴to yo͢u,” _

Katsuki sighed, clicking off the machine.  _ Yeah...sure. _ He pulled out his phone and set it on the desk, face up, opening the notes app on his phone.  _ Congrats, _ he said, heart full and warm but not exactly sure how to express it. _ You better not move my shit around. _

Deku laughed, and his phone glitched worryingly as the ghost typed on his phone.

‘I won't! But back to your hero-studies. It’s important after all!’ Katsuki rolled his eyes as he read the words. Of course. ‘I really think Miruko would be a good idea. She’s a lot like you, but she’s really popular too! I would say Hawks, but I think his Quirk is a bit too different. Best Jeanist could teach you how to be charming, I heard he’s really into that stuff, but you guys might not mesh well.’

‘who’s Miruko???’ Katsuki typed back.

Deku simply put a bunny emoji and Katsuki snorted, a smirk pulling at his lips. He was a little exasperated that he knew exactly who Miruko was just off that alone, but he supposed Deku made his point. ‘Very funny.’

_ Hey, Bakubro? _ Katsuki pulled his head up from his phone, blinking, looking over at Kirishima who was staring at him in curiosity. Everyone was staring at him, actually.  _ Um, I was just curious...Did you know Izuku before? You guys seem close. _

All of the energy felt sucked out of him, a scowl slowly replacing the half-smirk on his face. Deku patted at his shoulder, trying to comfort. It only felt like cold air. Kirishima winced at his face.  _ Sorry man, you don’t have to answer. We’ve been wondering for a while but...never found the right time to ask. _

His phone glitched. Katsuki glanced at it. ‘You can tell them as much as you want,’ Deku typed. ‘I don’t mind.’

The fact that they hadn’t asked sooner was surprising, really. Katsuki couldn’t blame them for being curious. Deku called him ‘Kacchan’ for fuck sake, that was definitely a sign they had history.

Katsuki tapped his nails on the table, spoke haltingly.  _ Yeah. Knew him for years. Went to school with him. _

His classmates went quiet, staring at the floor or their feet, and Katsuki found himself missing the easy atmosphere from before. Deku still patted at his arm, it was a comfort.  _ That must be hard, _ he heard Sparky mumble.  _ What happened? _

_ Kaminari! _ Glasses scolded immediately, hand chopping.  _ You cannot ask something so personal! _

_Sorry!_ _I didn’t mean - I - sorry,_ Sparky stuttered.

_ I think a better question is what does he look like, _ Icy Hot spoke.  _ We’ve had nothing to go off of. _

Katsuki shrugged, an uncomfortable feeling tugging at his gut. He hated talking about middle school - his therapist called it trauma, he called it cowardly with frustrated, angry cursing - but he figured Deku would want them to know. Besides, he couldn’t keep Deku to himself forever, it wasn’t fair.  _ Green hair, freckles, green eyes, _ Katsuki said, tapping his desk quicker.  _ Stupid grin on his face all the time. The works. _

_ What was he like? _ Glasses asked, careful, and Katsuki wondered if talking about someone else was helping with his own upset. Maybe it was, and the idea gave him the strength to continue. Even Aizawa was listening, having sat up from the floor.

_ Nerdy, _ he said,  _ but in a good way. _

The hero-studies - such a highly anticipated event that had the class raving even with their exhaustion - was set aside as Katsuki began talking about his childhood friend. Instead of trying to describe him, he decided talking about what Deku had been up to was a lot better.  _ Our moms were friends before we were born, _ he said.  _ So we grew up together, and that fucker grew up obsessed with heroes. He had like, what, twelve notebooks? Right? _

Deku typed ‘eleven!! :D’ on his phone.  _ Eleven then. A shit ton of notebooks just full of nothing but Quirk analysis.  _

_ Is that why you asked him for his opinion? _ Round Face chirped.

_ Damn right, _ Katsuki said, slapping his desk with a grin, but it felt forced.  _ He grew up with me. If there was anyone I’d want a second opinion from, it would be the nerd. He knows my Quirk as well as I do. Maybe,  _ just _ maybe, a bit better. _ Deku put a crying emoji, then a few hearts, and Katsuki shrugged.  _ Hey, credit where it’s due, crazy ass. _

Glasses frowned, eyes glimmering with something Katsuki didn’t like.  _ How did you move on? _ he asked.  _ You have dealt with this very...quietly. I hadn't thought you knew him until I heard his nickname for you. _

Katsuki barked out a laugh, a mixture of bitterness and amusement an unpleasant weight on his chest.  _ I’ve been anything but quiet, Glasses. _

They talked a bit more, Deku occasionally tapping out sentences on his phone for Katsuki to read aloud or read on his own. Aizawa - as interested as he was, he hadn’t laid back down since Katsuki started talking - eventually guided them back to work, saying if they wanted to discuss the topic they could do it during free time or after school. Katsuki focused back on his hero studies, ignoring his pounding heart climbing up his throat. God, he fucking hated talking about that.

He was quickly absorbed, however, in the paragraphs of ideas and theories Deku spat out at him, and a part of him wondered if Deku did it on purpose. Regardless he was thankful for the distraction, and in the end the two of them had narrowed it down to two Pro Heroes. Miruko, who Katsuki was heavily leaning towards the more Deku talked about her, and - to his own surprise - Present Mic. He owned a radio show, you had to be charming to be successful with that, right? His Quirk was loud, flashy, and aggressive, a similar enough comparison that Katsuki might even learn a thing or two. He packed up his things as the bell rang, thankful they didn’t have to answer quite yet. 

Right now, he was more focused on an idea that had popped up, a way to explain Deku without having to say much at all.

The next day, he sauntered into his homeroom class, a smug grin on his face. He said his usual gruff good morning to Deku - who muttered cheerfully in response - then threw his backpack on his desk, rummaging around for something. As soon as he found it he pulled it out, turning and walking to the back of class, setting it carefully but lazily on Icy Hot’s desk.  _ You better be thankful Icy Hot, _ he snarked.  _ Took me forever to find it. _

He said that, but it wasn’t true. Deku’s things had been carefully set aside in a box in his home, and his mom kept a picture of him on her at all times. Katsuki wasn’t the only one who mourned that day.

Deku seemed absolutely thrilled, tapping at the picture and muttering loudly. Icy Hot, however, looked a lot more somber, staring at the picture on his desk with a rapidly saddening expression. As much as Katsuki felt for him, he didn’t feel too much guilt for it. He had asked, and Katsuki had provided.

Everyone quickly got the hint and made their way over. There was a mixture of reactions. Sad cooing from most of the girls and quiet contemplation from the guys. Aizawa didn’t bother coming over, still sitting at his desk, and Katsuki narrowed his eyes in suspicion. 

The picture on Icy Hot’s desk was one of the more recent ones, probably as close to Deku’s physical appearance as Katsuki could guess. It hadn’t been taken by his hag of a mom, nor was Katsuki in the picture, but he was thankful for it. It meant Deku was smiling, wide and carefree, freckles shifted with the force of it. 

It was the impression he wanted everyone else to have. A happy, optimistic kid. He could tell everyone about the darker sides of the story when they'd seen enough of the lighter parts.

**Author's Note:**

> for those of you who are new, my schedule is uploading every Thursday of the week, so I'll see you then!! let me know what you all think about the discord idea <333


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